JWU Silences Gators On Senior Day

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Johnson & Wales University sophomore Taylor Cwalinski (Jackson, NJ) no-hit Pine Manor in game one as part of a JWU sweep during of a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) softball doubleheader on Sunday afternoon in Chestnut Hill, MA. Cwalinski struck out ten batters, walking only one over seven shutout innings for a 4-0 victory. In game two, classmate Tayla Gardner (Orangeburg, NY) nearly pitched a no-hitter of her own, surrendering only one hit in a 2-0 JWU victory.

Cwalinski was perfect the first time through the Pine Manor order. In the bottom of the fourth PMC senior Tara Doehler (Lakeville, MA) drew a leadoff walk to give Pine Manor its only base runner of the game. Doehler would advance to second on a sacrifice bunt before stealing third but the Gators were unable to drive her home, as Cwalinski continued to cruise and retired the side.

Cwalinski helped her own cause in the top of the seventh inning, hitting a two-RBI double to help JWU take a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh. From there, the sophomore from Jackson, NJ then put down the Gators 1-2-3 to wrap-up the 4-0 victory. Cwalinksi had three RBIs in game one, as she also drove home a run with a groundout to short in the first inning to make the score 1-0.

In game two, Johnson and Wales sent Gardner to the circle and nearly received a repeat performance. After hitting a home run in game one, Gardner struck out 11 batters over seven shutout innings for a 2-0 victory in game two. Gardner took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, but PMC senior Beth Deegan (Philadelphia, PA) beat out an infield single to give Pine Manor its first hit of the day. However, JWU then executed a strike ‘em out- throw ‘em out double play to end the PMC threat in the home half of the sixth.

PMC senior Kayla Provost reached base in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a JWU error, but PMC would ultimately strand the runner as the drop game two by a 2-0 score.

With the pair of losses, the Gators drop to 7-15 overall in GNAC play. Meanwhile Johnson & Wales improves to 22-14 and 15-7 in conference action. Pine Manor will now look to Friday, April 20 and a pair of games in Chestnut Hill versus Simmons College.